Dominican Republic prepares as Irma gains strength

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The Dominican Republic is preparing for the impending arrival of Hurricane Irma, a record Category 5 storm, which is expected to impact the country's north coast on Thursday.

Irma churned across the Atlantic on Tuesday on a collision course with Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, threatening to lash the northern Caribbean with a potentially devastating mix of fierce winds, surf and rain.

The eye of Irma, a monster storm packing winds of 185 miles (295 km) per hour, is expected to cross the northern Leeward Islands, east of Puerto Rico, on Tuesday night or early Wednesday, and is on track to reach Florida by Saturday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami reported.

Hurricane warnings, the highest level of NHC alerts, were posted for several of the Leeward Islands, including Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, as well as for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. "Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion," the Hurricane Center said, warning that Irma "will bring life-threatening wind, storm surge and rainfall hazards" to those islands.